In June 2012, Matthew and Michael Dickman releasedFifty American Plays (Poems)(Copper Canyon Press), a book of poem-plays about the fifty American states. Choose a state (or region or country outside of the United States) that you feel a deep connection to and write a poem about it. Give the reader a sense of the landscape and mood you associate with the place. As an additional challenge, try to convey a sense of the location without ever naming it in the poem.

Fiction Prompt

Write a piece of flash fiction in the style and form of a recipe. In composing the preparation steps, reveal bits of the fictional recipe-writer's life. Try to give the reader a sense of the person behind the recipe by giving an emotional dimension to the instructions. For inspiration, readSteve Himmer's "How to Make Potato Salad."

Creative Nonfiction Prompt

As Tolstoy's axiom goes, "All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town." Freewrite for ten minutes about each of these premises, then turn one--or both--into an essay.

The Best Books for Writers

Each week we recommend a book--a newly published title or an invaluable classic--that will help you on your writing journey. This week's pick:

On Looking: Essays (Sarabande Books, 2006) by Lia Purpura

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Summer's best debut fiction, what today's agents can do for you, a search for the true identity of fiction writer Charles Yu, and more in the July/August 2012 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.

Poets & Writers is the primary source of information, support, and guidance for creative writers. Founded in 1970, it is the nation's largest nonprofit literary organization for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Learn more at pw.org.